Day 8: Letting Go of Anger

On my desk at work I have a book called Positive Thinking Every Day, which contains daily excerpts from nine of Norman Vincent Peale's books. Today's entry:

"Instead of trying to destroy all your anger, snip away by prayer each annoyance that feeds your anger. In so doing you will weaken it to such a point, that presently you will have control over it."

I am focusing today on praying my frustrations away.

Day 7: There's that stewardship thing again!

Today I read in Believing God, and Beth spoke about stewardship...isn't that what I read about yesterday in Purpose Driven Life?! Naturally, this is making me think even harder about what I am doing with what God has given me.

This morning's sermon topic was "Relationships with People". There were four points:

• What relationship needs to be initiated?
• What relationship needs to be nurtured?
• What relationship needs to be restored?
• What relationship needs to be severed?

Pastor Scott referenced John 13:34-35:
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

I have really been taking a hard look at the attitude and heart I have toward James. As much as I have wanted to release my anger and bitterness, I have not fully done that. I know that I am to be as much a disciple to him as to anyone else. Probably even more so toward him since he is the father of my precious boys. I don't have to like him, but I am supposed to love him and treat him as Christ would...forgiving him.

Pastor Scott said, "God is love, and you can't love God if you don't love people."

This is going to be a tough one, but I am committing myself to kindness toward James. If he says or does something I don't like, I will hold my tongue until I can speak with kindness and then I will communicate to him why I disagree. I'm hoping that the "fake it 'til you make it" rule will apply here! By making a conscious effort to treat him with kindness, maybe I will eventually get to a point where I actually do feel kindness toward him instead of bitterness and contempt.

I had the biggest WOW moment with the kids yesterday. We had just gotten in the car to run some errands and the bickering and biting words began. So I said, "Okay...here's what we're going to do today. Before any of you open your mouths to speak, ask yourself, 'Is what I'm going to say going to be helpful?' If it will not be, then don't say it. God tells us to use kind words when we speak. He says we should use our words to build each other up and encourage each other."

I could not have told you what book of the Bible that came from, let alone what chapter and verse, and I felt good that I was able to remember something from the Bible and relate it to a situation so that the kids could learn from it. I've always struggled with memorize scripture...or anything else, for that matter.  I am much more of a conceptual learner.

Less than 10 minutes later as I turned the radio up (KLOVE), the deejay wrapped up the song that was playing by saying, "...that song was from Building 429. The group got their name from Ephesians 4:29, which says, 'Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.'"

The kids' jaws dropped. "That is SO WEIRD! You just said that, Mom! That's exactly what you just said!"

I just smiled to myself and said, "Yep. See...God's trying to tell you something."

I sure love it when He makes things crystal clear like that!

Day 6: My stewardship of His gifts

Notes from my Purpose Driven Life reading for today.

Perspective - what is your life metaphor? Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will."

*Note: Several months ago (maybe in June/July) this scripture came to me as an Encouraging Word email from KLOVE. It really spoke to me more than the daily emails generally do, so I printed it and put it at my desk. I've thought of taking it down a time or two, but each time decided to leave it up. I don't read it every day, but each time I look at it, it reminds me to ask for renewal and to turn from the ways the world says I should act.

Life is a test.

Life is a trust.

Life is a temporary assignment.

Test

There are tests in life to help develop your character. God watches how we respond to trials.

Trust

We are stewards of the gifts God gives us. God is the owner of everything.

*Note: In Luke Walters' sermon Wednesday, he talked about how we are to be managers, or stewards, of God's goodness. He referenced 1 Corinthians 4:2, which says, "Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."

Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."

We are entrusted with His creation.

1 Corinthians 4:7 says, "For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Personal thoughts:

I generally think of my life as a journey. Have I been a good steward of what He has given me? Not really. I am starting to recognize not just my gifts, but my spiritual gifts. I must show Him my faithfulness by caring for the gifts He blesses me with.